It's incredibly difficult for me to talk about this game. Sure, this is a wonderful JRPG with a unique setting and a combat system that has depth to it. Side activities keep you in your seat and so on.

But what makes this game a 10/10 for me - from a subjective point of view, of course - is how they handled Kiryu.

Seeing him weak with gray hair... I don't know what to say. Being in Kamurocho with him for the last time, reminiscing on all he went through. Losing many of his best friends, going through events no one should and despite that, carrying on for those he loves.

I still remember buying Yakuza 0 when it came out on PC, thinking this is just gonna be another mediocre game. Ohh, how wrong I was. I was instantly hooked, and seeing Kiryu struggle and watching his life unfold made me forget about all of my problems.

Talking with Date-san for one final time, reuniting with Yuya and Kazuki, meeting Nakajima again and so on. It was an emotional rollercoaster that I wasn't ready for.

Thank you, Kiryu Kazuma, for shaping me into the person I'm today. Seeing you keep on going gave me strength to fight all my traumas. Seeing you not being afraid to love helped me regain my ability to feel emotions towards people again, after many years of inner turmoil.

I will never, ever forget you. This may be the last time we meet. You are my hero. It doesn't matter that you are a video game character, you changed my life for the better, and I can not be more grateful for that.

You've earned your rest, Dragon. When I'll encounter hardships in life, I'll think about what you would do if you were me. Your legacy will live on inside many of us.

And thank you, RGG for never disappointing. You guys are one of the few trustworthy developers left in this industry.

A catchphrase everyone who's well acquainted with the world of videogames knows well. Been a long time, isn't it, Silent Hill?

After Team Silent has made their last game, Konami tried steering the franchise to experimental, bold directions. Some of those tries resulted in surprisingly great games; Shattered Memories still remains one of my favorite entries despite its flaws.

When they announced a new entry, people were skeptic for a reason. Ditching the town of Silent Hill in its entirety? The only plausible answer to this choice is that Konami is trying to sell a likely mediocre horror game with the name of a legendary franchise. Ohh, they've proven us wrong.

Ebisugaoka is masterfully done in terms of atmosphere. The foggy, rural mountainside setting is a worthy successor to the iconic oppressive original setting.

Characters seem one dimensional at first, however the more time you spend with them and learn about their motives from collectibles the closer you'll grow to them. Rinko and Sakuko are clandestine examples; Although they seem selfish and let's say, rather abusive in many situations, you'll slowly start understanding the psychology behind their behavior.

Otherworld areas? What I'm gonna say will likely be controversial, but I loved them. While I miss the terror inducing industrial sequences, NeoBard's twisted take on shrines representing peace and comfort ensures the players won't get exhausted by the undoubtedly small village.

Soundtrack is divine. Not just thanks to Akira Yamaoka, but other artists who certainly deserve to be mentioned for their talent and love they put into helping creating outstanding moments that rival those of the series bests, such as ones from the second entry.

Combat is a mixed bag. I do not agree with some choices made during the development. Weapons having durability and the potential of losing them may help with creating tension and enriching the survival horror experience, but it takes away from the classic formula the series is respected for. Dodge and stamina I didn't mind; they made enemy encounters more stressful, but in a positive way.

Story is top-notch. I started being attached to Hinako early on as she's a sympathetic girl who's clearly frustrated and being treated unfairly. It certainly isn't "woke" as Synthetic Man and other YouTubers appealing to a certain audience would like you to believe. Here comes the clown awards, ey? Good for you. Moving on.

Symbolism, chilling monster design, sound design that sends shivers down your spine, they're all here as you would expect. Keep in mind the story requires multiple playthroughs to fully grasp; True ending is only achievable in NG++.

It primarily explores themes such as forced marriage, sexism, domestic violence. The game touches these topics in a way that leaves no room for criticism; it doesn't try to portray people involved as villains, a better explanation would be that they're being shown as individuals who were socialized in an era where the aforementioned behaviors were more than socially acceptable.

The undisputed king of survival horror reclaims its well-deserved crown. Welcome back, Silent Hill. Although Konami is experimenting with a new direction, this entry is a worthy addition to a gaming titan. If this is the quality we can expect in the future from this IP, I'm relieved.

Final Verdict: 10/10 - Essential Experience

EDIT: My personal GOTY for the Steam nominations.